“Is a Scrum accreditation worth it?” is a question that most entry-level or even mid-career Scrum practitioners have. It is, without a doubt, the solution!
According to the job website Indeed.com, Scrum credentials were also the most wanted qualifications in 2020, with the Certified Scrum Master being the most in-demand.
Employers are seeking qualified Scrum specialists more than ever before, according to research. According to Indeed.com’s poll, the CSM ranks higher than the Project Management Professional (PMP)® certificate.
In this article let’s explore the best scrum master courses candidates can choose to build their careers.
Best Scrum Master Courses
- Certified ScrumMaster (CSM)
The Scrum Alliance, the first organization to offer a Scrum certification, administers the Certified Scrum Master (CSM) designation. It’s for present and aspiring Scrum team leaders from a variety of sectors, as well as anybody who intends to work on cross-functional teams and solve complicated challenges.
Advanced Certified ScrumMaster (ACSM) and Certified Scrum Professional ScrumMaster (CSP-SM) credentials from the Scrum Alliance are more advanced Scrum Master certifications.
- Scrum Alliance
Scrum Alliance is the largest professional group in the agile world, founded in 2001 by Ken Schwaber, the co-creator of Scrum. The Certified Scrum Master (CSM) is a certification they provide.
Because it is a highly known certification program for Scrum masters, you can choose the CSM given by Scrum Alliance as the best overall scrum certification.
The Scrum Alliance’s certification program focuses on interactions with professional trainers and coaches, followed by a structured test.
To take the certification test, every Scrum Alliance CSM graduate must complete the CSM training program. Scrum Alliance provides virtual and in-person training all around the world.
- Certified Scrum Product Owner®(CSPO®)
This certificate is another Scrum Alliance offering for professionals who wish to solidify their career as Product Owners and confirm their knowledge of Scrum vocabulary, methods, and concepts.
Product Owners have been recognized for their numerous contributions to Scrum teams and their position as a link between business and development, according to the CSPO Demand.
Recruiters recognize the Product Owner’s function as an intermediary who maximizes value and inspires teams since 90 percent of current teams use Scrum for product development.
As a result, the need for product owners continues to grow, with hundreds of new product owner positions being added every day.
CSPO’s Advantages:
- Acquire a better understanding of Agile techniques.
- Increase stakeholder satisfaction and maximize value
- Expand your network and learn to communicate in the language of global product owners.
- Scrum Alliance offers a two-year membership.
- Earn a high pay as a CSPO, with a starting salary of $105,845.
- Professional Scrum Master (PSM I)
Scrum.org, an organization formed by Ken Schwaber, one of the co-creators of Scrum Alliance, offers the Professional Scrum Master I (PSM I) credential. The PSM course certifies your knowledge of the Scrum framework and how to implement it.
Scrum.org offers the PSM I like the first level of Scrum certification. After that, you may take the PSM II or PSM III, which will put you through your paces with more complicated Scrum processes.
- Scrum.org
Ken Schwaber, a co-founder of Scrum Alliance, launched Scrum.org in 2009 to provide training that he believed was more consistent with Scrum concepts. In the process, he invented the Professional Scrum Master, which is an alternative to the Certified Scrum Master (PSM).
We picked it as our runner-up since it offers Scrum certification that is second only to Scrum Alliance in terms of recognition.
Scrum Alliance and Scrum.org vary mostly in their approaches to certification. Scrum.org focuses on the test itself, but Scrum Alliance needs students to undergo Scrum training before taking the certification exam.
The sort of class or training Scrum Masters get is less important to the company than the information they gain.
PSM I, PSM II, and PSM III are the three levels of PSM certification offered by Scrum.org. The PSM I certification focuses on having a “high degree of Scrum expertise, comprehension of the Scrum Guide, and how to implement Scrum inside Scrum Teams,” according to the course descriptions.
The PSM II certification emphasizes “advanced Scrum knowledge, in-depth Scrum experience,” as well as having completed a Professional Scrum Master Course.
The PSM III certification focuses on having a “strong grasp of Scrum application, Scrum practices, and the Scrum Values, as well as the ability to apply Scrum in a range of challenging team and organizational contexts.”
To take the PSM exam, Scrum.org does not require any prior experience. Nonetheless, it also provides Scrum training classes. Scrum.org also does not require PSM training to be recertified.
The PSM evaluations are priced as follows:
PSM I
- Each person costs $150.
- The duration is 60 minutes.
PSM II is a sequel to PSM I.
- Each person costs $250.
- The duration is 90 minutes.
PSM III is the third installment of PSM.
- Each person costs $500.
- Length: 150 minutes
- Advanced Certified ScrumMaster℠ (A-CSM℠)
The Scrum Alliance offers this high-level accreditation, which comes after the CSM. This certificate is for you if you wish to continue your agile journey and demonstrate your dedication to continuing excellence.
Demand for the A-CSM: The A-CSM allows you to demonstrate your advanced Scrum implementation abilities as well as your ability to improve communication between the Scrum team and stakeholders.
These advanced Scrum Master talents are highly sought after by Fortune 500 businesses, who are willing to pay top dollar for them.
Advantages CSM’s
- Boost the performance of high-performing teams
- Change management and facilitation
- Remove roadblocks
- Multiple teams to manage
- Earn up to $115K per year in high-paying jobs.
- SAFe Scrum Master (SSM)
SAFe Scrum Master (SSM) certification may be what you’re searching for if you want to be a Scrum master in a company where Agile, Lean, or DevOps ideas are used on a wide scale. Scaled Agile, the organization that governs the Scaled Agile Framework, administers the certification (SAFe).
You’ll discover the tools you’ll need to operate with completely remote teams in addition to getting to know Scrum.
- PMI-Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)®
As the name implies, the PMI-Agile Certified Practitioner is a product of the world-renowned Project Management Institute.
Participants are held to high standards as a result of this certification, which is why it is widely recognized across the world. Holders get a comprehensive understanding of how to implement project management methods in Agile organizations.
Demand for PMI-ACP:
Agile adoption has helped 98 percent of firms save expenses, improve bottom-line margins, and create profitable products, according to a SwarmOS poll.
Project managers who understand Agile in a range of settings and can effectively guide projects by implementing project management best practices are needed by these Agile firms as a result of the epidemic.
As a result, recruiters and companies are eager to hire PMI-ACP specialists.
PMI-Advantages ACP’s:
- By becoming PMI-ACP certified, you can take advantage of the growing need for Agile project managers.
- Demonstrate your knowledge of Agile approaches such as Scrum, FDD, Kanban, and others.
- Increase your marketability.
- Earn a good living: the average salary is $108,000.
Conclusion
The number of positions for Scrum Master is increasing and the base wage paid by Scrum-certified individuals also rises in tandem with the number of certifications held.
As a result, the more credentials you have on your CV, the better your compensation will be. Thousands of job vacancies for Scrum professionals exist in the year 2022. Make yourself and your company more valuable by earning one or more of these high-paying Scrum certifications.
